Belt buckle



Sept. 10, 1963 R. M. WOLF, JR

BELT BUCKLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 24, 1961 INVENTOR. Robert M. Wolf Jr.

ATTORNEY P 10, 1963 R. M. WOLF, JR 3,103,047

BELT BUCKLE Filed Nov. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Robert M. Wolf Jr.

BY mam Q3? ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,047 BELT BUCKLE Robert M. Wolf, .IL, 334 E. Elizabeth St, Fort Collins, Colo. Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,524 8 Claims. (Cl. 24--73-) This invention pertains to belt buckles, generally, and, more particularly, to buckles of the type where the belt with which used has a ring at each of its ends. Such rings of the belt are usually, as far as known, placed over some hook means of the buckle, and usually held thereto by the normal pull tendency of the belt, with resultant likelihood of the ring ends slipping off during use. Heretofore, as far as known, such belt buckles have been of multiple parts and expensive to manufacture, in providing means with the buckle for preventing the rings from slipping off the buckle during use.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide such a belt buckle of the simplest construction, with only two parts including holding means for preventing said rings from coming loose during use, and therefore of inexpensive cost to make.

It is a main object of my invention to provide a single spring-tensioned curved buckle member having loop ends, and a single removable rigid member associated with and extending between said loop ends and as a means cooperating with said spring-tension of the buckle member for normally holding ring ends of a belt on said loop ends.

More specifically, it is a main object of my invention to provide a single unit, spring-tensioned and slightly curved belt buckle member having identical reverse and opposing loop ends on one side thereof, over which loop ends ring ends of a belt are adapted to be placed, and a single rigid member adapted to extend from under one of said loop ends to under the other of the loop ends and adapted to be held by said loop ends removably thereunder by the normal spring-tension action of the buckle member and thereby effect a closing of said loop ends for holding said belt ring ends thereon from slipping off said loop ends.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a novel combination of a single unit crescent-shaped spring tensioned belt buckle member, having loop ends, with any desired type rigid tool designed as the single rigid member means, extending from one loop end of the buckle to the other and held thereunder by the tension of the buckle, for effecting a closing of said loop ends and thereby a holding of the belt rings thereon, in interchangeable use thereof with said buckle according to the type tool needed to be carried thereby.

Other and further objects will be apparent, and a better understanding of my invention will be had, from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the under side of one embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view thereof, with the loopclosing and ring-holding means, rigid member 3, out of buckle loop-end engagement position;

FIGURE 4 is another perspective view thereof, with member 3 in loop-end closing position;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a modification of my invention;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another modification of my invention, and wherein the closing and holding rigid member is not pivotally carried by the buckle but fnictionally spring-tensionally carried thereby, in this modification it being a novel pair of pliers; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 6 modification, but with the pliers in frictional place in closing and holding relationship with the buckle.

My novel buckle is of fewest parts, and yet of strong construction. I make the buckle of one flat, spring-tensioned piece of material, such as spring brass, and of slightly curved shape, as illustrated as 1, in FIGURES 1-4. The type of belt used therewith, 11, is of the slidingly conventionally adjustable in length type, and it has a ring 10 at each end thereof of a size adapting the rings to be inserted over opposing loops 1a of buckle 1. It will be apparent that the buckle 1 is preformed of the slight crescent configuration shown, and with identical and reverse bent and opposing loop ends 1a on one side thereof, of configuration shown. In this modification I use a conventional beer can opener and bottle cap opener single member 3, as the loop-ends-la closing and ring-10 holding means, and which I will now explain. The normal configuration of buckle 1, before the closing and holding member 3 is inserted under loop ends in, is as shown in dotted lines 5 of FIGURE 2. The combined can and bottle opener, 3, has a conventional can opener end at one end thereof and a conventional bottle opener end at the other end thereof. As a convenient carrying means, I secure member 3 by a loose pivot, being a stud bolt 2 secured by a suitable rivet to 1 and having a collar 3i; as illustrated, so that 3 is always with the buckle member 1 and is loosely rotatable on post 2, for reason to be explained. Member 3 has an opening 32 therein, between its ends, of larger diameter than the outer diameter of the post 2, but smaller than the outer diameter of collar 30 of post 2, as illustrated, and is of a length adapting it to extend Well under loops in of 1 when l is depressed against its normal spring tension into the relationship with 3 as illustrated in FlGURES 2 and 4. It will thus be Seen, from FIGURE 2, that after the belt rings 19 have been placed over the loop ends 1a of the buckle 1, as illustrated ,and then the rigid can and bottle opener single member 3 is pivoted on post 2 and at the same time the buckle member 1 is depressed, downwardly as illustrated from its normal dotted line position, until the ends 20 and 33 of member 3 by that pivoting of member 3 seat under the loops in, then the spring tension of buckle 1 will act to exert a pressure against member 3s under side, as illustrated in FIGURE 2; and, as a result of that pressure by buckle l, exerted against depressed points 21 and 34 of member 3, the can opener point 20, and the bottle cap puller support end 33, both ends of member 3, will each in turn thereby be pressed against the under side of its adjacent loop end 10, and thereby be held frictionally thereagainst. It will thus be further seen therefrom that said rigid member 3, in said co-action with spring-tensioned buckle member 1, comprises means for closing the loop ends 1a and also means For holding the belt rings 10 thereon during such use, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, and with the parts explained being of the size and proportion as illustrated. It is to be noted that I preform member 3, and also the loops on each end of buckle I, so that the vertical distance at between the lower edge of depressed portion 21 of the can opener end and a line parallel with the piercing point 20 thereof is only slightly less than the distance y between the end of the loop 1a at that end of 1 and the adjacent body of buckle 1, as illustrated by dotted lines of FIGURE 2, and the same proportion at the other end of member 3 with relation to that loop 10, depressed bend 34 and the cap puller support end 33. During use, as illustrated by FIGURE 2, the ends of member 3, between 21 and 20 and also between 33 and 34, are frictionally held in place, as illustrated, with relation to and by the buckle member 1, and they completely close their respective loop ends 1a and thereby prevent the belt rings 10 from slipping off said loops during use.

In FIGURE 5 I show a modification of my novel buckle combination, differing in the member 3 being formed as a screw driver and knife single tool member, preformed to act with member 1 as the loop ends in closing and ring holding means, in the same manner as previously explained in the use of the can and bottle opener member 3 modification. In this modification I make the single screw driver and knife closing and holding member 43 similarly pivotally carried by a loose pivot to the buckle l, but removably so carry it, by a suitable screw-bolt 44, seating into member 1 through an opening provided in 43, as illustrated, for obvious use, to be able to substitute other such tool members 43, when desired in lieu of the one shown, and with such others of the same length and substantial configuration to that of member 43 shown. Lower depressed portions 41 and 54, of member 43, correspond to such portions 21 and 34 of the prior modification in FIGURES l4, and extreme ends 40 and 53, of member 43, correspond to such extreme ends 20 and 33 of the prior modification, and their co-action with relation to main buckle member 1 and loop ends 1a is identical in acting as a single loop closing and ring holding means for both loop ends in of buckle 1 during use, with member 43 pivoted so that its ends 40 and 53 each are held under a loop in by the tension of member 1, and with belt rings on the loops 1a as before. It is to be seen, in all modifications of my buckle invention, that provision of pivots, 2 or 44, means of carrying the single members 3 or 43, as the case may be, with the main buckle member 1, is simply one of convenience as a way to always have the said member with the said buckle member, as it is not necessary, within the purview of my invention to have such member so pivoted to 1. Such single closing and holding rigid member, 3 or 43, need not be so secured to the main buckle member 1, as will be seen in the following modification illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, in the co-action relationship of such single member, as 3, with member 1.

Any desired tool can be preformed of configuration for use as the single rigid closing and holding member 3 or 43 in combination with my novel main buckle springtensioned member 1, without being secured thereto directly, but being frictionally associated therewith and held thereby by the normal spring tension of that buckle member, as illustrated in another embodiment of my invention shown in FIGURES 6 and 7. It will be seen that the pliers tool, 63, is manually inserted under the loop ends in, with the extreme ends thereof, 60 and 64, in that relationship seating into preformed indentations 70 formed in loops In, so as to assist the normal spring-tensioned effected pressure, at the pliers lower edges 61 and 65 as illustrated, in normally frictionally holding the outer ends 60 and 64 from slipping out of said indentations, during use. That insertion of the pliers member 63, within the under side of the loops 1a, is effected, as explained relative to the first modification, by the wearer depressing the buckle l, downwardly as illustrated, until the ends 60 and 64 can be so inserted under loops In. As in prior modifications, the member 63 ends 61-430 and 64-65, during such use, act as the means for closing the buckle 1 loops 1a and for holding the belt rings 10 thereon.

While I have my main buckle member 1 of slightly crescent shape, as illustrated, it is to be understood that it need not be exactly as illustrated, but could, for example, be completely fiat or straight with the loop ends 1a as shown. While I have mentioned the distance x as being slightly less than the distance y, of the closing and holding member on the one hand and of the loop ends of the buckle 1, respectively, they could be the same, or they could even be reversed with x greater than y when the tension of the loops It: were sufficiently weak enough to permit the operator to move those loops when inserting the closing and holding member under those loops, in which latter event the spring tension of the said loops 1a would also normally assist in frictionally holding of the closing and holding member, 3, 43 or 63, as the case may be, between those loops and the main body of the buckle member 1, during use. It will therefore be seen that many changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments of my invention herein shown and described within the scope, teaching, spirit and intention of the disclosure of my invention, and without deviating therefrom, some only of which have just been referred to, and, therefore, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I wish to be bound as to the extent of my invention only by the hereunto appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A buckle of the class described comprising, in combination, a resilient crescent shaped buckle member having an inner surface and two inturned opposing openloop ends formed on a common side thereof, a single rigid tool pivotally mounted between its ends to and carried by the buckle member on the loop side thereof and adapted to be pivoted to extend under and between said loop ends and having a cam under-surface and an opposing upper edge formed at each of its ends, said cam surfaces being adapted to cooperate with the inner surface of the resilient crescent shaped buckle member to bring the inner surface if the inturncd ends into abutting engagement with the upper edges of the tool member to thus relcasably retain the tool member in the open loop ends in loop closing position when the tool is pivoted to extend under and between said buckle loop ends against the tension of said resilient buckle member, and means for so pivotitlly mounting the tool member to the buckle member.

2. A buckle of the class described comprising, in combination, a resilient crescent shaped buckle member having an inner surface and two inturned opposing openloop ends formed on a common side thereof, a single rigid tool adapted to be inserted in and under the opposing open loop ends so as to extend between said loop ends and having a cam under-surface and an upper edge opposite the cam surface formed at each of its ends, said cam surfaces being adapted to cooperate with the inner surface of the resilient crescent shaped buckle member to bring the inner surface of the inturncd loop ends into abutting engagement with the upper edge of the tool member to thus releasably retain the tool member in the loop ends in loop closing position when the tool is placed under and between said buckle loop ends by and against the tension of said resilient buckle member.

3. A buckle of the class described, comprising in combination, a resilient longitudinally-crescent-shaped buckle member having an inner surface and inturncd opposing open-loop ends on a common side thereof, and a single rigid tool member having two ends and with each end of a thickness substantially adapting the tool member for insertion with its ends under said open loop ends and to extend therein across each open loop end, said tool member being substantially. of a length adapting it to cooperate with the inner surface of the resilient buckle member to bring the inner surface of the inturned ends of the buckle member into abutting engagement with the ends of the tool member for releasably and frictionally retaining the tool member under and between the buckle loop ends and in loop closing position by the tension of the resilient buckle member when the tool member is inserted with its ends under each open loop end of the buckle member.

4. A belt buckle, comprising, in combination, a spring tcnsioned bendable buckle member having two opposing identical open loop ends on a common side thereof, with each loop end being adapted to receive a belt ring thereon, and a tool member having two ends with each end of a thickness substantially equivalent to the distance across a buckle loop end and of a length slightly greater than the normal unbent distance between said loop ends of the buckle member, said tool member being adapted to be removably inserted with its ends positioned within said open loop ends and to be frictionally thereupon hcld thereby, upon a bending of the buckle member against its spring tension for thereby extending its normal distance between its open loop ends and such insertion of the tool member with its ends within said loop ends, and said tool member in such position of its ends within said loop ends comprising means for holding belt rings on the loop ends.

5. In a buckle member, in combination, a flat springtensioned buckle member having reverse opposing and identical open loop ends on one side thereof, and one rigid loop-closing tool member means of a size adapted for insertion under said loop ends of the buckle member upon a certain manual positioning of the buckle member against its spring-tension and also adapted to extend between and under said loop ends of the buckle member and also to extend across each loop end of the buckle member and to be frictionally and removably carried in such relationship by the tension of the buckle memher.

6. A buckle member combination as defined in claim 5, and, further, having the loop-closing member means loosely pivoted to and carried by the buckle member and on the side thereof having the loop ends, and means for effecting such loose pivoting thereof,

7. In combination, a belt buckle, comprising, a bendable spring-tensioned buckle member having reverse opposing open loop ends on one side thereof adapted to receive belt rings thereon, and a single rigid tool loopclosing member means of a size adapting it for removably closing both of said loop ends when and by insertion thereof within and between said loop ends upon a manual bending movement of the buckle member against its tension and such insertion of the tool member means Within said loop ends, said tool member being frictionally carried by the spring tension action of the buckle member thereagainst and when so inserted within said loop ends, said closing tool member means having each of its ends of a thickness adapting an end to extend across its open loop end in loop closing position upon such insertion of the tool member within the buckle loop ends.

8. A belt buckle comprising, in combination, a flat springtensioned buckle member formed longitudinally cross-sectionally of slightly curved configuration and hav ing two ends, each of said ends being formed as opposing open loop ends on one side of the buckle member and being adapted to receive belt rings thereover, said loop ends being on the concave side of said buckle member, and a single rigid loop-closing tool member means having two ends with each end of thickness substantially equal to the distance across each open loop end and or" a length adapting it to extend between the under side of each of said loop ends and so as to be frictionally removably carried by the spring-tension action of the buckle member thereagainst frictionally pressing its ends Within and against each open loop end for holding said belt rings on said loop ends upon the tool member being inserted within said loop-ends, each of said loop ends having outwardly extending groove indentations formed therein positioned to receive the ends of the tool member means frictionally therein during such frictional holding of the tool member means within said loop ends, and said ends of the tool member means being adapted to frictionally seat within said groove indentations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 168,053 La Forte Oct. 28, 1952 48,100 Saladee June 6, 1865 1,368,030 Fellows Feb. 8, 1921 2,188,352 Hothersall Jan. 30, 1940 2,197,881 Seabo et al. Apr. 23, 1940 2,302,316 Heller Nov. 17, 1942 2,693,639 Scabury Nov. 9, 1954 

4. A BELT BUCKLE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SPRING TENSIONED BENDABLE BUCKLE MEMBER HAVING TWO OPPOSING IDENTICAL OPEN LOOP ENDS ON A COMMON SIDE THEREOF, WITH EACH LOOP END BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A BELT RING THEREON, AND A TOOL MEMBER HAVING TWO ENDS WITH EACH END OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO THE DISTANCE ACROSS A BUCKLE LOOP END AND OF A LENGTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE NORMAL UNBENT DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID LOOP ENDS OF THE BUCKLE MEMBER, SAID TOOL MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY INSERTED WITH ITS ENDS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OPEN LOOP ENDS AND TO BE FRICTIONALLY THEREUPON HELD THEREBY, UPON A BENDING OF THE BUCKLE MEMBER AGAINST ITS SPRING TENSION FOR THEREBY EXTENDING ITS NORMAL DISTANCE BETWEEN ITS OPEN LOOP ENDS AND SUCH INSERTION OF THE TOOL MEMBER WITH ITS ENDS WITHIN SAID LOOP ENDS, AND SAID TOOL MEMBER IN SUCH POSITION OF ITS ENDS WITHIN SAID LOOP ENDS COMPRISING MEANS FOR HOLDING BELT RINGS ON THE LOOP ENDS. 